In fairness, the Deputy was one of the first to raise this matter in the House a few weeks ago. He and Deputy Cullinane raised it in Topical Issues a couple of weeks back. As he is aware from that engagement, my Department and I were informed that, following engagements between SOLAS and ETBs on budgets, a funding pressure was identified for the 2025 apprenticeship budget. As I said a few questions back, that relates…
TDs / James Lawless
James Lawless
Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science
Portrait: © Houses of the Oireachtas (Oireachtas (Open Data) PSI Licence) · source file
30
questions asked
Oral and written, to government departments
114,588
words spoken in the chamber
114,547 as a minister, 41 as a TD
360
votes recorded
Each Yes, No or Abstained in a recorded vote
19
topics asked about
Across 11 departments
From the Dáil chamber only: committee meetings are not in this archive.
What they ask about
The subject headings the Oireachtas filed their questions under.
Who they ask
The departments their questions were addressed to.
Month by month
Low months are usually recesses, when the Dáil does not sit. The archive runs to 22 October 2026.
Questions asked 30 in all
Dec 2024Oct 2026
Contributions to debates 440 in all
Dec 2024Oct 2026
Show as a table
| Month | Questions | Contributions |
|---|---|---|
| December 2024 | 0 | 0 |
| January 2025 | 13 | 2 |
| February 2025 | 8 | 9 |
| March 2025 | 3 | 54 |
| April 2025 | 0 | 15 |
| May 2025 | 0 | 35 |
| June 2025 | 0 | 9 |
| July 2025 | 2 | 60 |
| August 2025 | 0 | 0 |
| September 2025 | 0 | 0 |
| October 2025 | 0 | 44 |
| November 2025 | 0 | 1 |
| December 2025 | 0 | 44 |
| January 2026 | 0 | 40 |
| February 2026 | 1 | 1 |
| March 2026 | 0 | 0 |
| April 2026 | 2 | 39 |
| May 2026 | 0 | 42 |
| June 2026 | 0 | 1 |
| July 2026 | 0 | 40 |
| August 2026 | 0 | 0 |
| September 2026 | 1 | 0 |
| October 2026 | 0 | 4 |
Debates they spoke in most
Plus 379 contributions in the regular slots, such as Leaders' Questions and Priority Questions. Speech from the chair is not counted.
Asked about similar topics
Not enough questions on record to compare.
Party, constituency and offices
- constituency Kildare North 29 November 2024 to now
- party Fianna Fáil 29 November 2024 to now
- office Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science 23 January 2025 to now
I completely agree it is not acceptable. This is why I have taken strong, proactive steps to address it since it came to my attention. As well as directing SOLAS that no courses should be cancelled, I directed it to engage with ETBs to set out the programme of phase 2 classes through to the end of the year and to work out funding implications across the board to December. What does the revised schedule of classes loo…
The Deputy has engaged in good faith throughout on this matter. I hear his queries and share them. It is important a solution be found, including a funding solution, in the coming weeks. The cut-off for classes starting in December is September. There is a lead-time for apprentices to be called up and September is the deadline for December classes. We do not have time on our side; however, I am confident. Significant…
I do not know if that is connected and it probably would not be wise or fair to start putting on the record things I am not 100% certain on.
I thank the Deputy. I welcome this question. It is an opportunity to talk about the impact the SUSI grant can have. There has been continued investment and improvement with it but there is still more we can do. If we look at certain measures within the schemes and bands, there is an opportunity to go further there. Significant improvements have been made over the last number of years. In 2024, the once-off cost of li…
I think the Deputy has got to the heart of the recent debate; he has actually nailed it. It is so important that with whatever intervention we make around fees, grants or supports, we understand what the policy objective is. Is it to broaden the net? Is it to give something to everybody? Is it to give most to those who need it most? Is it to bring into the system people who would not otherwise have access third level…
For the benefit of the House, let me recap on some of the measures kicking in this year. I will investigate with regard to the cohort mentioned. It is worth saying that the special rate of maintenance threshold increased this year from €26,200 to €27,400. All grant thresholds increased by 15%, meaning the highest threshold is now €115,000. I signed a statutory instrument about four weeks into this job to bring 100 ad…
I thank the Deputy. We have had a few variations of this discussion over the evening. That is to be expected because there were impacts in different areas in different ways. There has actually been no funding cut to the apprenticeship system in 2025. In fact, investment through the Revised Estimates has increased by €41 million by comparison with the figure for last year. Instead of a funding cut, there has been a fu…
I do not have to hand a figure for LMETB per se. The overall system has received €41 million more this year than last year. What SOLAS allocates to each ETB is a matter for it. It is devolved from my Department and my control. If LMETB has a figure above or below what was expected, it is between it and SOLAS. The overall budget envelope for which responsibility has been devolved to SOLAS has actually increased.
Ther…
My immediate focus is on fixing the problem but I hear what the Deputy is saying. The immediate response is to address the funding gap to ensure no courses are detrimentally impacted to the extent that they would not progress into next year. I have written to the chair of SOLAS to instruct that no apprenticeship classes be cancelled. Once this is resolved – I am confident it will be in the short term – there may need…
I thank the Deputy. There is a simple answer, but since the Deputy probably wants some details, I will tell him a bit more. I am very passionate and excited about the opportunity we have provided through the National Training Fund. There is a surplus in the fund of almost €1.5 billion and that has been accumulated through employer contributions over several years. The issue today is that it has been difficult to full…
The question is a good one as to where it goes next. Before I answer that I will talk about the steps my previous answers were stepping through. We need to bring in legislation because the National Training Fund Act does not envisage the type of uses I have just outlined. I think they are important. I met with IBEC and other employer representatives on it. There is a general shared understanding that we need to inves…
I thank the Deputy for giving me the opportunity to address this important matter. He is correct that some of this dates back to commitments that were given last year. I am working through the issues. There was an issue with backlogs that arose over the last two years which are now working their way through the system. Apprentices who should have been out through the system and qualified are now at phases 4 and 6. Th…
I thank Deputy McDonald. She has been in the House longer than I have, but she will understand that the budgetary process takes place in October, not June, July or August.
The budgetary process is under way. I am fighting within the resources available for students and their families for the best possible outcome across the board in all of the measures the Minister, Deputy Chambers, outlined, including SUSI grants, fee thresholds and the student contribution fee, along with the cost of accommodation-----
No figure has ever been produced ahead of the budget in any area of Government spending, and that will not change this year no more than any other year. That has always been the position.
Gabhaim buíochas leis na Teachtaí as an gceist seo a ardú. I thank the Deputies for raising this important matter.
As the Deputies opposite are most likely aware, SOLAS is the State agency responsible for the further education and training sector. A key part of its remit and duties is to allocate funding to the education and training boards to deliver further education and training programmes, including apprenticesh…
I am not impressed with the situation either. I would prefer if we were not in this situation. Sometimes in politics, we have to play the hands that we are dealt. Sometimes we would prefer they were different but they are what they are and we have to make the best of them. My job as Minister is to manage the situations that arise.
I have said no class will be cancelled. I did not say anything else. There is a reason…
You made some mess yourselves.
You would be dying for Opposition.
The joint Opposition.
I move:
That Dáil Éireann approves the terms of:
(i) the Agreement between the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) and Ireland concerning the Granting of the Status of Associate Member State of CERN, signed at Geneva on 8th May, 2025, and
(ii) the Protocol on the Privileges and Immunities of the European Organization for Nuclear Research,
copies of which were laid before Dáil Éireann on 27th May, 20…
The business is an hour ahead of schedule.
Established in 1954, the European Organization for Nuclear Research, known as CERN, is an intergovernmental organisation that operates the largest particle physics laboratory in the world. It is headquartered in Geneva and currently comprises 24 member states and ten associate member states.
Associate membership of CERN is a commitment in the programme for Government and a long-standing national ambition. It is also…
Gabhaim buíochas leis na Teachtaí Dála a labhair sa díospóireacht seo. It has been a worthwhile debate. I welcome the support for the motion from across the House. What is rare is wonderful. We do not see such agreement often but, when we do, it is something to celebrate. I thank the Deputies on all sides of the Chamber who contributed.
I acknowledge the contribution of the scientific community to this achievement. …